A Battle at Heart
by DestinysBeginning
Summary: Princess Kimberly of Europa finds that her life is in danger with rebels threatening and terrorizing her kingdom. With her being the only heir to the throne, her father seeks her safety and sends her undercover with a well-known agent, Jack. However, Princess Kimberly isn't pleased to be "babysat" by Jack, along with his gang, especially when her country needs her most.
1. Prologue

_**Hello Everyone! Thanks so much for reading my first Fanfiction Story! I am so excited to be writing this story, especially because I'm so in love with the plot of Kickin' It and the characters! I have a slight obsession with Jack and Kim's relationship, and I wanted to create a historical kinda story about them! If you completely hate this idea, please tell me because I will only continue if I get some nice feedback.**_

_**Anyway, this story is taking place a few hundred years from now. I try to explain the history within this chapter, so if you are confused please review and ask me about it-I would gladly answer your questions! Now this chapter doesn't involve Jack or the gang yet because this is more of a prologue. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, review and let me know what you think! I promise this story will be A LOT better as it goes on! Thanks :) **_

It was a cool spring day with the radiating sun rising just above the horizon, waking up the local citizens of the beautiful kingdom of Europa. For any outsider, it looked like just another average day within the kingdom, but today was truly the most celebrated time of the year for the Europans. Today was Crawson, the celebration of the birthday of Europa.

One hundred and twenty years ago, the continent of Europe, and all of the countries within, economically and physically collapsed. There were many reasons as to why the once successful and influential continent fell, and the affect seemed to ricochet from one country to the next.

Labor was one issue that led to the downfall, when jobs suddenly became scarce for people of all class rankings. The bridge between the rich and poor widened substantially, with the wealthy tending to live a ridiculously lavish lifestyle while others were forced to go hungry in order to feed there loved ones.

Many people filed for reforms and made their concerns known to their government officials, but the government was far too corrupt for changes to be made. Just within a few months time, revolts and riots filled the streets of these countries and caused the death of nearly one million lives.

One hundred and twenty-five years ago from this day and five years after the collapse of Europe, King Stephen II reformed and converted the fraudulent ways of the past countries, and brought these troubled nations together as one. With his respected philosophies and genuine nature, he was able to bring forth and create the kingdom of Europa.

King Stephen spilt his kingdom into ten providences to create an equal balance, giving the people a voice within each of their providence's government. To remind the citizens of the perilous and troubled past their country once encountered, he named all of the providences based off their original: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.

The kingdom of Europa prospered greatly throughout King Stephen II's reign. They began to thrive financially and economically with his tremendous effort, intelligent reforms, and good fortune. And even to this day, he is spoken of as one of the most good-hearted and prominent men in all of mankind's history.

Since the death of King Stephen II, his son King Charles took his reign over the kingdom of Europa, tradition passing the crown down to the eldest son. King Charles had two sons, named Philip and Keegan, both of whom believed and deemed themselves worthy of the crown. But due to the customs of Europa, King Charles' son Philip became the King when he died thirty years later, leaving a bitter Keegan as the head of military forces.

And with King Philip nearing his final days, this Crawson was believed to be the most lavish and extravagant of all of the festivals during his reign.

The whole kingdom of Europa celebrates Crawson each year, becoming the most anticipated and abundant celebration of the year. Every providence has their own merry rituals and traditions, but one thing they all have in common is gathering around their television sets and watching the royal family's grand parade and inspirational speeches.

And this year is no exception. Men from all ten providences are eager to hear what the King's speech will consist of for this upcoming year, and what new strategies will be used to keep their nation as the favored. Young children every year are animated about the extravagant props and decorations that will be used for the parade. And women hover anxiously around the television to see what the Queen and Princess will be wearing this year, surely becoming this year's biggest trend.

But little does anyone know that this year's Crawson will be very different.

The usually peaceful and reserved castle of Europa was buzzing with an energy that is sparked once every year. Crawson—the celebration that is the most awaited event of the year—was finally here. Servants and staff were hustling about the castle, restlessly tugging and hanging up decorations, props, and boxes for the holiday that has finally arrived.

It was 125 years ago that King Stephen united the crumbled countries of Europe as one kingdom. Not only was this possibly King Philip, the grandson of King Stephen, last year as ruler, but also every twenty-five years is remarked as a transitional and revolutionary year, sparking a new start for their kingdom.

But with the King's death nearing with every breathing second, many citizens of Europa are debating who will take his place as leader of Europa. It is a custom of the royal family that the crown is pasted down to his eldest son, but he never produced a son. King Philip does have a young brother, Keegan Crawford, who would gladly take his throne, but many despise of the theory of breaking the traditional way of the royal throne.

But King Philip does have one child, who is the rightful heir to the throne. But there is one twist—something that was not addressed by the founding fathers of the kingdom. King Philip had a daughter—Princess Kimberly—and a woman, more the less a Princess, was not seen as a liable leader of a kingdom.

"Your Highness!" A servant shouted, prancing into the dinning hall of the castle, where the royal family sat for their Sunday brunch. Everyone dropped their conversation to glance at the frantic servant, who was visibly sweating with nerves.

"What is it, Oliver? Can't you see that we are eating?" The King commanded, forcefully setting down his cup of wine. The servant noticeably swallowed a lump in his throat, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, well your Highness, I was to notify you at once that there has been an attack!" He explained in a hurry, causing all of the members of the royal family to perk up in concern. "All of the decorations and ornaments were destroyed, as well as the workers putting them up just across the courtyard!"

"That's impossible," the King responded in disbelief. "The attackers must have broken through the castle's protective wall to be able to assault them. In which direction did they attack from?"

"East, sir."

King Philip looked towards his left, where his brother sat at the table. "Keegan, that is where your men are stationed. Have you heard anything from them?"

"No, your Highness." Keegan responded, looking genuinely worried for the wellbeing of his men. Sergeant Keegan was a well-known army official within Europa, his men noted as the most fierce and reliable men in the kingdom. The thought of some attackers being able to break through their forces sent chills down the spine of the Queen.

"These cannot possibly be the rebel forces that were identified early this month, can they?" The Queen asked, her question directed towards her husband. "Was their liable threat accurate?"

"Rebel forces?" Princess Kimberly piped up, voicing her confusion. She looked from her mother to her father, before looking once again towards her mother. "What rebel forces are you talking about, Mother? And what treat have they proposed—"

"Nothing you need to engross yourself in, Milady," Her uncle Keegan spoke up, a sort of bitterness behind his words. The aging man found a disliking in the eagerness and pesky behavior of his beautiful niece. "These types of issues are confidential towards military officials and the ruling couple only."

"My time is very well coming, Uncle. I think that is in the best interest of the safety of the general public as well as myself, that I know what danger is to soon be encountered." Princess Kimberly calmly responded, her eyes narrowing significantly.

Despite the charming looks of the renowned Princess, many are shocked when they discover the true identity of the young woman. Behind all of the ruffled ball-gown dresses and elegant makeup, lies a courageous, intelligent, feisty, and genuine young woman.

Although her mouth is usually what gets her in the deepest of troubles, it is also the weapon and tool to her well-known and likable personality. The thing that strikes the most of people is her witty remarks, often turning the tables back towards the opponent.

However, some people, such as her Uncle Keegan and her etiquette teacher Ms Barrow, personally despises of her behavior, deeming it as obnoxious and improper. But other people's opinions and judgments of herself is the least of the gorgeous young woman's problems, being that she could possibly be the heir to the throne of Europa.

"If you are suggesting that I tell you of these rebel forces just because of your social status, you clearly are mistaken." Sergeant Keegan replied with a grim smirk.

"Ironic that the veritable reason you are the Sergeant of Europa's military is solely based on the fact of your social status." Princess Kimberly retorted, referring to the fact that Sergeant Keegan's father was once the ruler of Europa.

He gritted his teeth, his mouth stumbling upon the words he wished to respond with towards his stubborn niece. His brother, however, stopped the argument before it got too riotous.

"That is enough, my daughter and brother," King Philip roared, slamming his palm against the extended wooden dining table, causing all of the utensils and dishes to rattle. "At a serious time like this, the last thing we need to be spending our time fretting about is something that foolish."

"And how would one know that a serious time is at risk within our country, when the own kingdom's Princess isn't aware of the issues at stake!" Princess Kimberly countered, directing her insult towards her mulish Uncle.

"Why I am going to—" Keegan began to seethe, until being interrupted once again, but this time by the Queen.

"It all began roughly six months ago, Kimberly." The Queen stated, her lips pursed in a straight line. "Rebel forces have been releasing a series of attacks on the outer providences, leaving behind nothing but letters of warning."

"Warnings of what?"

"Warnings of a futuristic attack on the kingdom of Europa." The Queen responded, looking down at her untouched plate of food, suddenly not feeling as hungry. "Somehow these unknown rebels have managed to break through all of our military units without a single spec of evidence or clue—all they leave behind is a detailed note of what is needed to stop the madness that is 'bound to occur.'"

"And what do they want from us?" The Princess asked after a few moments of silence. Even someone as loud and chatty as the young Princess found it hard to bring about the words she wanted to speak.

The Queen looked towards her husband before letting out a cautious sigh. "They have a few propositions. One being that your Father steps down from his reign over Europa and gives complete power to the rebels. The second option being that the kingdom of Europa must surrender all of their military power, security services, and resources. Or the third option, which is…"

"Which is?"

The room went eerily silent, everyone at the table knowing exactly what was asked of the rebel leaders, besides the young Princess. They all sent each other knowing looks, silently deciphering who would explain the third option.

"Princess," Keegan spoke up, sending a concerned glance towards his paling brother. "The third option is for you to marry the leader of the rebel force."

Princess Kimberly turned her nose up, scowling at the horrid thought. "Why in the good name of God would such a terrible man seek my hand in marriage?"

"Power, fame, wealth," King Philip countered, a hard glare in his aged eyes. "But there is nothing you need to worry about, my daughter. Everything is under control and you will be perfectly—"

"Safe?" Kimberly barked out, raising an eyebrow. "Father, you cannot possibly say that with a straight face. I am far from safe when the rebel forces having proposed such an appalling proposition!"

"My daughter, the most safe place for you at a time like this is here in the castle. Our security team and military forces led by your Uncle are superlative—the best thing for you to do is relax and treat everyday as normal."

Princess Kimberly desperately wanted to maintain the conversation of the issue they were speaking of, but the disapproving look her Mother was sending her told her otherwise. Instead she remained quiet for the remainder of brunch, simply shifting her food with her fork.

_**Sooo, what did you think of it?! I know it was extremely boring and didn't have much action in it, but I promise it will pick up as the story continues on! If you have any questions, concerns, criticism, compliments, comments, I'm up for anything! But if I'm not getting any feedback, I will most likely delete this story! But I will update by at the latest tomorrow with a chapter so yall can get a sense of what it is about! Thanks love!**_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone! I would like to start off by saying a huge, huge thank you to everyone who reviewed on the prologue! You guys are absolutely AMAZING, and you are the reason that I am posting this first real chapter early! Now I know this isn't the best plot or story yet, and it doesn't have any Jack-Kim action yet, but I'm not the type of author to just jump into a pointless story. I like the storyline to have a background before getting into the character's lives, so PLEASE stick with me! This is another slow and boring chapter, but I promise they will pick up! STICK WITH ME PLEASE!**_

Crawson was well underway by the time the royal family made their grand entrance. The parade was an instant hit with all the children of all different ages, as well as some of the adults, despite their juvenile denial of the fantastic effects displayed. Food was flourishing in and out of the kitchens in each of the ten providences, as the elders merrily sipped their fine wine.

Princess Kimberly was anxious as she stood before the camera, which broadcasted the event from the castle and to every television tuned into the celebration. But it wasn't her unusual shyness or uncharismatic personality that made her uneasy before the eyes of so many viewers. It was the fact that she felt that something felt off.

Something just didn't feel right.

But as her etiquette teacher, Ms Barrow, taught her, she continued beaming her award-winning smile for the camera with her unswervingly straight spine in line. She also tried to look interested in what her Father was ranting about into the microphone, speaking directly to the general public of Europa.

But an uneasy feeling was still in the pit of her stomach, causing it to churn with uneasy nerves.

She adjusted the dress she was wearing, which was more so squeezed into, making her appear to be two sizes smaller than what she truly was. Despite wearing these dresses everyday for more than ten hours each day, she never enjoyed them nor got used to them.

The loud cheers of the crowd brought the Princess out of her idle reverie. Everyone that was associated with the government, military, social services, and ambassador leagues were gathered before the royal family, serving as a luxurious crowd as the King gave his speech before the television.

As she looked out into the crowd of familiar faces, she found herself relax somewhat. Generals, agents, servants, senators, and security members were scattered about in the crowd, each and everyone of them with a look of respite on their face, watching in admiration as their devoted King finished up his speech.

"I'm truly honored to be able to call myself a leader and King of such a well established and good-hearted kingdom like Europa. These thirty-eight years of ruling over Europa have been the best and most enjoyable years of my life—and it sincerely saddens me to the core to know that this might be my last year of reigning." The King took a few moments to pause and keep himself together, as the Queen and Princess reassuringly squeezing his hand. "But my wife and I know that the next ruler will be twice as able and willing as I am."

There was quiet muttering within the crowd, as well as across the nation of Europa, as the people began guessing who would take the throne once their beloved King would pass away. With no son, the King has no direct heir to the throne. And throughout Europa's history, there has never once been a female ruler.

Most of the population of Europa had bets on the King bestowing the kingdom to his eminent brother, Keegan, despite going against tradition. And even to Keegan himself, he believed that he would take the throne with the death of his brother nearing.

But there are still some that believe in abiding the customs of Europa, and bestowing the crown to his daughter. And it was finally that moment that everyone within the kingdom—even Princess Kimberly and Sergeant Keegan—were waiting for.

"And whenever my death may transpire," The King began in a thick tone, tightening his grip on his wife's hand, "I fully entrust and grant my blessing in the reign of my daughter. All hail Queen Kimberly I."

"All hail Queen Kimberly I!" The crowd of officials, as well as everyone tuning into the television, shouted in unison. As shocked as most were that a female would soon rule over them and their kingdom, most were fervent at the theory of a new and youthful mind releasing her own ideas for the benefit of their beloved Europa.

But not everything went as smoothly as expected.

A penetrating shriek pierced the castle's diplomatic air, echoing throughout the chambers and hallways and ringing in everyone's ears. Everyone within the crowd and the royal party stopped their celebration at the pain stricken cry. And then that was when the lights began to flicker off and multiple malicious gunshots were fired.

The cries and screams of the crowd gathered within the castle could be heard from far outside the protective walls. The pounding of feet and the pleading cries were almost too much to bear, especially added with the violent explosions of the gunshots.

The Princess, whose hand was already grasping her Father's, constricted her grip as the King forcefully began to drag her through the darkness of the castle. Several security guards surrounded the royal family, hoping to block any fired weapon that might be aimed at them. The Princess could merely hear her Mother's cries, as her Father dragged her with his other hand.

The Princess tried to remain calm, having learned most of these lessons during her intense schooling throughout her young childhood. But having experience a brutal attack by rebels firsthand was definitely something one cannot prepare for.

As her tiny feet began to blindly be led and trampled over dead bodies, she felt her mind go numb with a panic attack constricting her lungs from breathing properly. But she continued to follow after her Father, down many hallways and hidden trapped doors. With the help of the royal families personal security, they made it safely to the hidden underground chamber.

"Father," Kimberly breathed out, her lungs still not properly working. Even though she was perfectly safe underground for the time being, she still felt an eerie chill run down her back, with the haunting images and sounds of the brutal attack previously running back in her mind. "W-Was that th-the rebel forces?"

The King was solemnly silent, the only sound to be heard were the cries of the Queen and the panting of the personal security guards. The emotion within the King's old graying eyes was hard to distinguish, but he tried to gravely cover up his fears with hope.

"Yes, Kimberly." He muttered, pulling at the grey hairs that were sprouting from his chin in thought. "The rebels have been true to their word, attacking and violating our kingdom just as they said they would. And that is why I fear what is to become."

"What are you saying, Father?" the Princess asked, placing a reassuring hand on her Father's shoulder. At first, he wouldn't even face his daughter, but the stubborn young girl forcefully turned her aging Father around to meet her crystal eyes. "What is it that you fear of?"

"Your safety." He responded half-heartedly, a sigh releasing from his lips. He gently placed his own hand across his daughter's. "Everything that they have warned us about has come true, my daughter. And another proposition that they forewarned us about is that if I were to grant you my blessing as future Queen, they would seek to hold you hostage and forced into marriage, thus making the ruler of the foolish rebels become King of Europa."

The Princess opened her mouth, but the words simply wouldn't come out. Despite all the harsh and straightforward words she constantly had spilling out of her mouth throughout her lifetime, she was suddenly speechless.

"Your Highness!" One of the personal security guards that helped the royal family into the hidden chamber shouted, barging into the room in a panic. "T-The rebels! They have discovered the hidden chamber! We must leave at once!"

The King sent him a curt nod, turning his whole attention towards his daughter. Placing both hands on her shoulder, his voice became very low and hurried. "Kimberly, we don't have much time. But I need you to have trust in me. Your Uncle and I have had an emergency plan in store incase any attack or invasion were to occur like right now." He roughly motioned over one of the security guards. "You are to go with this security guard right now, and he will take you to a well-known and highly professional group of agents who will take very good care of you. You are to stay undercover as a normal young woman in the providence of Italy, do you understand me?"

"But Father, I don't need to be baby-sat—"

"Do you understand, Kimberly?" He shouted, squeezing her shoulders in irritation.

The Princess gave a feeble nod, wincing slightly at the physical pain her Father was causing. Her Father never once laid a hand on her, nonetheless squeezed her shoulders in anger. But the young woman knew the stress her Father was under. Her Father dropped her shoulders after she forcibly obliged, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Now don't be causing any trouble," He added on, sending her a weak grin. "I know how difficult you can be, young one. But this is a serious issue—so be safe, my daughter. Your safety is what holds this kingdom together."

The Princess swallowed a lump in her throat, the words replaying in her head like a mantra. "You stay safe as well, Father. I love you."

The King cracked a brief smile, bringing his only child into a warm embrace. Placing his lips against her forehead, he left a warm kiss before muttering, "I love you more than anything in this world."

And with that, the security guard forcefully grabbed onto the arm of the Princess and sprinted off for safety, just before the rebels broke into the chamber with guns fully loaded.

It seemed like days later to the young Princess, but in all honesty it had only been a matter of hours since the rebel forces attacked Europa. And since the assault, she had yet to see the light of day, having been traveling in an underground chamber for well over three hours.

The chambers were more like a labyrinth, being that it was pitch black and difficult to find a correct way through. Had it not been for the security guard in charge of delivering her to the agents in the providence of Italy, she would have been lost a long three hours ago. Luckily, the security guard knew the hidden chambers like the back of his hand.

However, unlucky for the young Princess, she was petrified beyond her wildest imagination. Not only was she getting claustrophobic in the tight, dim chamber, but she felt like the weight of her kingdom was now on her shoulders. If she were to fail in any sort of way, her nation would pay the price.

She continued walking in silence, her bare feet paddling against the cold tiles of the ground, as her destroyed heels dangled from her hands. For the first half of her journey within the labyrinth, she was forced into running, being that the pair was being chased by some of the rebels. But to their contentment, they lost them within a few minutes.

"Your Highness," the security guard spoke up, breaking the silence that had been lingering in the air for a brutal hour. "We have approached the providence of France."

The Princess furrowed her eyebrows together. "France? I think you are mistaken. My Father said that I were to hide out in Italy."

"That is correct, Milady." He replied in a hurry, ushering the young woman out of the hidden chamber and finally into the broad daylight. It took the Princess a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the lighting, shielding the bright rays from her feeble eyes. "You are scheduled to remain undercover in the providence of Italy, but you must travel there above ground, for our underground chamber doesn't extend towards Italy."

"And approximately how long will this journey take us?" The Princess asked, a slightly uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Now that is for you to discover yourself Milady, for I am not accompanying you for the rest of your journey." He explained in a hush tone, as if someone were to eavesdrop on their conversation and discover who she truly was. "My journey ends here, for I am to deliver you to your new security team for the remainder of your undercover mission."

The Princess opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a group of five young men approached. The security guard politely bowed when they neared, the group reciting the courteous gesture.

"Milady, these are your guardians, whom your Father and Uncle have deemed worthy of protecting you. Your Father and Uncle demand that you cooperate with anything these men instruct, for the sake and benefit of your kingdom."

The Princess rolled her eyes, expecting such rules from her loved ones. However, she knew deep within her heart that she would do whatever she deemed necessary, despite the orders of these young men.

The Princess was used to her lack of privacy, being that every move she made was watched by hundreds, maybe even thousands. But for her family to straight up arrange five young men to guard over her like she were some helpless girl infuriated the Princess.

The guard turned his attention back towards the group of men, giving them a hard glance. "As for you men, your orders are as simple as keeping the Princess safe at all cost. We will arrange for some messages to be sent to your registered site within Italy. Until then, blend in with the crowd and lay low."

And with a curt nod, the security guard turned on his heel and back into the eerie dark labyrinth.

As soon as the guard out of sight, a man from the group spoke up, bowing before the royal heir. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess." The man was average height, with jet-black hair and bushy eyebrows. "The name is Jerry, and I along with my four friends here will be your personal guide."

"Jerry, this is probably not the most appropriate place to exchange names," A man argued, worrying for the safety of the Princess. He brushed his long, brown hair out of his eyes, looking around for any unusual behavior.

"Well as the leader of this group, I think that it would be in our best interest to start heading towards Italy," Stated one of the men within the group. The Princess noted that he looked to be the oldest, with an extreme amount of confidence radiating off his body.

"What makes you think that you are the leader, Rudy?" countered another one of the men, directing his question to the man who previously was speaking. And although this man was taller than 'Rudy,' he looked to be a good ten years younger. It wasn't that he was childish looking, but he definitely still had his baby fat.

"Well I am by far the most superior one here," Rudy responded smugly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And superiority and maturity conquers all. Not to mention that I am the handsomest."

"Most handsome," corrected another one of the men, this one a total opposite from the recent one, being that he was tremendously skinny and pale.

"See Eddie?" Rudy said with a convinced expression on his face. "Even Milton agrees with me that I am by far the most attractive. And let's face it, good looks are the most important feature in a leader."

"Uh, that isn't exactly what I was proposing." Milton explained, rubbing the back of his neck with his bony hand. "In fact, it is believed that most appealing looking men in history turn out to be the villain nobody expected. Take John Wilkes Booth as an example—"

Jerry groaned in annoyance. Placing his hand over his eyes, he pleaded, "Please, Milton! Not another pointless history lesson!"

"Pointless history lesson?" Milton breathed out, clutching his heart as if someone struck him in the chest. "There is no such thing! And John Wilkes Booth happens to be one of the most prominent assassins of all time!"

"Boring," Jerry sang out, pretending to yawn.

The Princess began to feel uncomfortable being in the midst of such a childish fight among the young men. Her discomfort must have been acknowledged because Eddie soon intervened on the argument, causing it to halt before it got too out of control.

"I'm Edward of France, but I go by Eddie." he explained to the Princess, interrupting the ongoing fight. Kimberly gave him a thankful smile as he began pointing everyone out. "The man with the bushy eyebrows is Jeffrey of Spain, the history and technical nerd is Milton of Ireland, the immature and overly dramatic one is Rudolph of Germany, and our true group leader and heartthrob is Jackson of Finland."

"It is lovely to be in your acquaintance," The Princess responded with a bow. "And I thank you all for the redundant task of tending to my needs."

"Redundant?" repeated Jack in a slightly bitter tone.

"Yes, redundant." Kimberly replied, crossing her arms over her chest and giving the young man a hard glance.

"What do you mean by that?" He countered, feeling a slightly irritated emotion course through his veins.

"The definition of redundant is something or someone that is no longer needed or in use for the benefit—" Milton began to recite, until Jack cut him off with an annoyed expression.

"I know what redundant means!" He exclaimed. "But in what way is our task redundant to you, Your Highness."

The Princess felt slightly taken aback by his words, the resentment clear in his sarcasm. Never once in her life had someone whom wasn't in a higher position then herself spoken to her in such a way.

"I do not appreciate nor require the tone in which you are speaking with me, Sir Jackson of Finland. And despite what might be asked of me by my Father and Uncle, I also do not require to have a bunch of immature boys baby-sit me while my kingdom is being overtaken."

"Woah, woah, woah there," Rudy interfered as he took a step between Jack and Kimberly. "Let's just calm down, take a breather and peacefully begin our week long journey together, where we are going to have a cheery time getting to know each other. Alrighty? Now let's get a move on."

_**A little Jack and Kim fighting going on, eh? What do you all think of their fighting? Do you think it is pretty pointless and stupid? And also, how do you feel about the Kickin' It characters being transformed into futuristic characters? Do you think they are true to their Kickin' It characters? **_

_**ANYWAY, I really hope you aren't completely and totally bored with my story yet! This is technically the first chapter of the book, so don't judge a book by the first chapter, lol. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment and I PROMISE I will get a chapter out to you guys by tomorrow! That chapter will have some serious plot and JAck-Kim moments! Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and favoriting my story, PLEASE REVIEW :)**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Hello everyone! Thanks once again for reading my story-seeing all of the people viewing my story and reviewing has honestly been mindblowing! I really wanted to give the reader some action, as requested by my loyal reviewers, so I gave you some in this chapter! It is getting late and I'm tired and have school tomorrow, so it might be crappy and cuts off randomly, so sorry but I have to get to bed! xox**_

The group had been traveling for quite some time before they finally reached a well-established town to settle down for the evening. Calvados was the name of the small town, merely a few miles North of Paris, the reputable capital of France.

The town was bustling with life, elaborate decorations and bright banners still hanging from the historic buildings, celebrating yesterday's Crawson. Wooden houses, shops, and hotels with white crown molding details surrounded the main and only street.

As the group walked into the town of Calvados, they couldn't help but notice how everyone's attention was directed on them—or more so the Princess. This caused the gang to feel slightly uneasy.

"Do you think they recognize her?" Milton whispered under his breath towards Rudy, watching as everyone stared at Kimberly with a displeased expression upon their faces.

"Nah," Rudy mumbled in a whisper back to Milton, "I'm sure they are just not used to visitors after Crawson. Besides, she is dressed like the majority of the upper-class population and this is a pretty poor town."

"Why is everyone looking at us like we are aliens from a foreign planet?" Eddie asked in a panic tone, brushing off his clothing in hopes of drawing the attention away from himself and the group.

"Maybe because the Princess looks like she just escaped a near death experience from a raid of wild dogs after some stupid tea party," Jerry proposed, instantly receiving a punch to the shoulder from Jack. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"That 'stupid tea party' just so happens to be the most anticipated celebration of the year!" The Princess snapped back at him, glaring at the young man. "And in case you have been absent from the past few hours, I did escape a near death experience!"

"Your Highness, to Jerry's defense, you are dressed a little…" Milton tapped his chin as he searched for the right word. "Unusual for the common people outside of the castle. I'm sure what he was trying to say is that we should get some more ordinary clothing for you to wear."

"No, what I was actually trying to say is that—" Jerry started to say until Jack elbowed him in the stomach, making him groan in pain. "Never mind, that is exactly what I was saying."

The Princess rolled her eyes, being led into the only clothing shop the town had to offer. Being locked away in the castle her whole life, she found the tiny store extremely charming, along with the rest of the town. It had a certain vibe that made her feel like she belonged, and that it was a home away from home.

However, Jack and Milton exchanged anxious glances towards one another. Both of them had a feeling in their stomach that they needed to keep their guard up, as if this place was far from safe.

The Princess began pulling different outfits from the racks around the store, with Jerry trailing behind her, adding his commentary on each of the pieces of article she chose. Meanwhile, the shop's owner stood behind the cashier counter with some locals, talking openly about the ongoing rebellion occurring in their kingdom.

"I just so happen to disagree with you," the owner of the shop stated, crossing his arms over his plump abdomen. The three men that surrounded the powerful looking owner scoffed at their friend. "I feel like this kingdom is in more trouble then what the royals are making of this mess. I mean, did you watch the ending of the Crawson celebration?"

"Of course we did," one of the men exclaimed, rubbing his graying beard with a brawny hand. "If you ask me, I think they were part of those men that barged through our town promoting the revolt against the monarchy and the price of capturing the missing Princess."

"Not a doubt in my mind that those men were the ones that carried out the raid." Another one of the men responded. He then turned his attention towards a younger looking male that had yet to speak up during their conversation. "Ey Timothy, you joined the rebels didn't ya?"

The man scoffed, leaning against the counter with a smirk. "Why on earth wouldn't I?" he questioned with a sneer, high fiving the man with a loud slap. "If you think that I were to remain quiet and correspond with having a female leader take over this kingdom… you are crazy."

Jack immediately looked towards Rudy, trading looks of concern. Rudy brought his index finger towards his lips, silently warning him to lay low and keep the Princess at a safe distance.

But when they turned away from each other to seek the Princess, their worst nightmare had come true.

"And what just so happens to be so appalling at having a female leader run such an entrenched kingdom like Europa?" The Princess bitterly questioned the group of men. She crossed her arms over her chest, dressed in some of the clothes Jerry begged her to try on.

One of the men scoffed, looking at the young woman as if she were absurd. "I'm sorry if we offended you, Ma'am, but it is simply a fact that a female cannot run an established government, military forces, and foreign exchanges. It is simply a man's job." He smirked when he finished speaking, clearly no remorse in his tone.

"A female has never been given a proper chance at a fair trial," The Princess exclaimed, scrunching her nose up in disgust. "You and all the men that stay true to your foolish and sexist word are what is holding this country back from a new and improved era of our kingdom, led by a woman leader!"

"Women are made by God to cook her man some food, clean her man's clothes, harvest the man's crop, and produce her man's children." He spat, the men surrounding him nodding in agreement. "It is the way of this kingdom, and the way that it will always be."

"Not when I am finished," She barked out, clenching her hands into fist. It took all the will power she could muster up not to punch the man in the face. But she knew that it would be looked down upon within society, especially by Ms Barrow's standards.

"And what are you going to do about it?" The young male mocked, the surrounding men joining him by howling out in laughter. The Princess, however, kept an unamused glint in her eye. "This magical female leader that you speak of that is going to revolutionize our kingdom was kidnapped yesterday by some rebel forces. So what are you going to do about it, missy?"

Milton placed a hand on Kimberly's shoulder, shooting her a warning look. The Princess understood the look without any words being spoken. Milton was advising for her to brush off his words and remain undercover.

Milton took the clothing from the Princess and placed them on the counter of the cash register. The owner sneered under his breath as they began to exchange money for the items of clothing. Meanwhile, his friend continued to harass the young Princess.

"That's right, young lady. Leave all the real work for the men to handle." He snickered, referring towards Milton. "And if you ever find that 'wonderful and magical' female ruler of yours, let her know that men will always dominate society and to leave it to them to handle in peace."

The Princess simply kept an indifferent look on her face as the clothing and money were exchanged. But on the inside, she was livid with extreme hatred and repulsion for this man and his sexist views. When they were finally free to leave, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

As they turned to leave, the man decided to make his final word clear to Kimberly. "Let us be thankful that with the kidnapping and possible death of the Princess, our kingdom may finally move forward and abandon any revolutionizing theories that women could ever be superior to men in any attribute, nor rule the kingdom of Europa."

And that was when Kimberly lost it.

Turning on her heel before a blink of an eye, she punched the man with all the power she could muster, right in between the eyes. The force behind her punch knocked the man off balance, colliding against the wall behind the counter. The man's friends immediately stopped their laughter, instead looking at Kimberly in shock.

But they weren't the only ones in complete shock. Jack, Rudy, Eddie, Milton, and Jerry all stood behind her with their mouths gaped open, blinking their eyes repeatedly to see if they truly saw what just occurred.

The man staggered his way to his feet, furiously slapping away the hands of his friends who tried to help him up. He glared at the Princess, looking like those silly cartoons with fumes escaping the character's ears.

"You bitch!" He shouted, shaking from all the anger built up inside of him. He approached the young woman and swiftly threw a punch at her face, which she expertly dodged by turning away from his hand before it contacted her face. He seemed stunned by her speedy reactions, as well as all the men that watched in amazement, quickly throwing another punch.

This punch nearly made contact, but she used her free hand to catch the robust blow. With her tiny hand wrapped around his giant fist, she twisted his arm around to secure control over him, and then utilized all the power she could gather to toss him over her shoulder and collide with the solid floorboards.

The men whistled at the fierce blow Kimberly caused, as the man on the floor groaned in pain. Kimberly smirked above him, pretending to dust off her hands.

"Now what was that you said about women always being weaker then men in all attributes?" The Princess taunted, bring a hand to her ear. "Because I believe you have just lost to a girl in more ways than one."

"Oh yeah! That's right!" Rudy shouted, pumping a fist in victory. Kimberly turned to shoot him a smile, as well as the rest of the boys. "You just got schooled big time—by the Princess you have been bad mouthing the entire time!"

The Princess' eyes doubled in size, as well as everyone else in that room. For Jack, Milton, Eddie, and Jerry, they were apprehensive to see how the men would react, whereas the other older group of men felt a sense of duplicity run through their veins.

"Oopsies…" Rudy mumbled under his breath with a look of innocence on his face, but still receiving dark looks from the group.

"Get her!" shouted one of the men, grabbing a club from behind the counter to use as a weapon. Meanwhile, the other three men jumped to grab other usable weaponry to assist them in their battle to seize the Princess.

Jerry grabbed the nunchucks from his pockets, swinging them around while making dramatic sound effects. The man with the club swung the weapon towards Jerry, which he barely managed to dodge. Shifting his weight forward, he swung his feet around to trip the older man.

Taken off guard as he collapsed to the group, Jerry managed to juggle the nunchucks gracefully around his hands before smacking the man upside the head with the wooden material, knocking the man out completely.

The biggest man out of the group managed to find a long pole as his choice of weapon, running towards Milton. Screaming, Milton ran around the store, dodging the attacks by quickly jumping in front of different racks of clothing, destroying the store without even meaning to.

However, after running for so long, he ran out of places to hide. The man managed to catch up to Milton, striking him in the abdomen. Milton shrieked in discomfort, the pain shooting up his body, and luckily Eddie heard his plea of assistance.

Eddie ran towards the man that towered over Milton, his back turned towards him as he raised his weapon to strike Milton once again. In a rush to save his friend, he grabbed a nearby scarf that was lying on the ground. Picking it up and charging the enemy, he let out a screech as he wrapped the rich material around the man's neck.

The man started chocking when the scarf wrapped around his neck, whirling around to smack Eddie. Eddie barely processed what was happening before ducking when the muscular hand nearly contacting his face. With Eddie ducked over to avoid the blow, Milton, who was still in pain on the floor, saw this as the perfect opportunity to kick the man.

When his feet made contact with the man's back, the older man was thrust forward and tripped over the ducked over Eddie, falling with a throbbing crash. Eddie stood upright, a proud grin on his face as he helped up his wounded friend.

At that same moment, Rudy and Jack were handling their own foe, which also was becoming a huge issue. In his hand was a rifle, which the man had no problem using if he felt the need to. With seemingly unlimited bullets, the man continually aimed his rifle at the two, scarcely missing them by mere hairs.

The Princess went to go help out the boys, but her legs were suddenly knocked out from under her. When her body painfully tumbled to the floorboards, she noticed that the man she got into the heated argument with was no longer on the ground from when she tossed him over her shoulder. In fact, he was the one that knocked her legs out from under her, now standing above her with a sinister look.

"Well, well," he sneered, a lengthy sword held in his right hand. He stood above the Princess, the sword extended towards her throat. "If it isn't the lovely Princess Kimberly of Europa. What have I done to deserve your astonishing presence?"

"You deserve absolutely nothing, you filthy pig!" She retorted, scrunching her nose up in repulsion. "How dare you live in such an exceptional kingdom, only to turn your back and become a rebel? You sir, are what is tearing this country apart—not me!"

His eyes blazed a dangerous shade of grey, narrowing as the blade pressed against her throat. "You certainly have quite a big mouth, Your Majesty, especially being that this sword could very well kill you at any second."

She continued to keep a strong and unfaltering face, even though she was deeply petrified of what was to become of her future. "You may do whatever you want with that sword, but I will never back away from what I believe and make of this kingdom."

He scoffed, retreating the sword back ever so slightly. "You wonder why I turned my back on this country and became a rebel? Well it is simple, Your Highness. We rebels are promised much more of our lives than what your Father has promised and compromised. With the exceptional leader of the rebels, we plan to fight and battle for our wealth and demand the respect we should have been given a long time ago."

"Respect is rewarded to those who earn it, not demand it." The Princess spat, glaring up at the man before her. "And that is the last grant that I would ever give you or your foolish rebel leader!"

With all his built up anger, the man flung his sword down at the Princess' throat, hoping to end all the potential problems that were to await the rebels. But a pair of loyal nunchucks knocked the sword from the man's hand, chucking the sword way across the floorboards and at the entryway of the shop.

The Princess used all the energy she could muster to kick the man off of her, tossing him to the ground momentarily. Jerry ran to her side, helping her up from the ground and asking if she were okay.

She brushed him off politely. "Don't worry about me," She panted as she gave him a thankful smile, watching as Rudy dodged a bullet from another one of the men. "But thanks for saving me."

Jerry barely had a moment to open his mouth, before the Princess was sprinting off towards the entryway for the sword. He was about to scold her and run after her, but a shot from one of the man's pistols nearly hit him in the leg, had he not moved ever so slightly.

He jumped behind a rack of clothing for his protection, finding two familiar faces. "Rudy? Jack? What are you guys doing here?" He asked, skillfully eluding a gunshot that was aimed towards him.

"Oh you know, just hanging and waiting for the Queen of Europa to get here for a cup of tea," Rudy sarcastically responded, rolling his eyes in slight annoyance with his peer.

"Oh that's nice," Jerry countered in all sincerity, not catching the sarcasm in his friend's tone, "But she might want to see her daughter—who just ran out of the store being chased by a madman with a deadly sword."

"Wait, what?" Jack screamed, looking at Jerry with wide eyes. "The Princess went where?!"

Jerry raised his hands in mock surrender, not at all catching the seriousness of the situation at hand. "She ran outside of the store a few seconds ago, after that crazy man started running after her to get—"

"Damnit!" Jack cursed as he carefully stood up, "Rudy, you and Jerry take care of the man with the pistol. I'm going after the Princess."

_**Soooo did you guys like the action?! I really wanted to get the plot rolling and add some action-drama, so I hope you all liked it. What do you guys think is going to happen next? Who is everyone's favorite character so far? Do you guess have any ideas you would like to tell me? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from you all in a review! If I get five reviews pretty quickly, I will update the next chapter! Love you all xox**_


	4. Chapter 3

_"Wait, what?" Jack screamed, looking at Jerry with wide eyes. "The Princess went where?!"_

_Jerry raised his hands in mock surrender, not at all catching the seriousness of the situation at hand. "She ran outside of the store a few seconds ago, after that crazy man started running after her to get—"_

_"Damnit!" Jack cursed as he carefully stood up, "Rudy, you and Jerry take care of the man with the pistol. I'm going after the Princess."_

As Jack finished his statement, he carefully yet hastily made his way out the store without any of the bullets targeting himself. This left the two young men to deal with the manic man with the pistol on their own.

"Any ideas on how to take out the pistol?" Jerry shouted to Rudy, making sure to cover his whole body by the rack of clothing, using it as an indirect barrier for his safety.

"Why don't you try knocking the pistol out of his hand with your nunchucks?" Rudy countered, feeling as if an imaginary light bulb popped out of his head.

"Good idea!" Jerry reached into his pocket where his lucky and loyal nunchucks were supposed to be located. However, it was then that he realized that they weren't there, since he threw them to save the Princess from the sword that nearly pierced her throat. "Shit, man! I don't have them!"

"What do you mean you don't have them?" Rudy exclaimed in an anxious tone, making the situation a lot more dramatic then it had to be. "You are telling me that the one time we actually need them, you don't have them with you?!"

"It's not my fault!" Jerry shouted back, whacking his friend upside the head.

"What do you mean it isn't your fault? Who else's fault is there to blame?" He asked in a shriek, watching in horror as a bullet nearly contacted his left cheekbone. "And don't you slap me!"

"Then don't blame me for not having my nunchucks!" Jerry responded bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I was using my nunchucks to save the Princess while you and Jack were just waiting to have tea with the Queen!"

Rudy slapped his forehead, at lost of words for his friend's stupidity. If only Jack would have nominated Jerry to go save the Princess. He certain hoped he would have enough brains to get the two them out of this sticky situation.

Brains…

"Wait, Jerry! Where is Milton?" Rudy asked in a hurry, peaking over the rack of clothing to look for their friend, only to retreat back down once a bullet was fired at his face.

"I don't know, but hopefully somewhere with Eddie." Jerry responded boredly, trying to look over the rack of clothing for his friend as well. "But we could certainly use him right—"

As if on cue, two girly shouts were heard from near the gunmen. But knowing their best friends all too well, both Jerry and Rudy knew that those weren't girls at all—nope, they were their two best friends, Milton and Eddie, the gun pointed right in their direction.

Milton continued to shriek, jumping into the arms of Eddie, who simply stood still like he saw a ghost. The gunmen snickered as he brought the gun closer towards the two young men, having completely forgotten about the other two that hid behind the clothing rack.

Taking this as an opportunity to strike, Rudy jumped out from the clothing rack and sprinted towards the man. Having heard the commotion, the man shot his pistol at Rudy in a scurry to protect his life. But Rudy's reaction timing was spot-on, having dodged it by a simple summersault.

When he popped up from the ground, he kicked his foot out to strike the man in the hip, catching him off guard. Knowing that his gun was no longer in use since his foe was so close, the man started to swipe at Rudy with the holder of the gun.

Rudy managed to escape most of the attacks the man gave him, but the holder of the gun did crack against his eye at one point of the assault, leaving him temporarily blind. As he backed away from the blow, the man jumped out to finish Rudy off, until Jerry attacked him from behind.

Using a nearby plank of wood, Jerry smacked him with all the force he could muster up, knocking the man out immediately. When the man fell with a sudden crash, Milton finally stopped his earsplitting cries and began to celebrate the victory with Eddie, as Jerry ran towards Rudy's side to assist him in his injury.

Meanwhile, the Princess was sprinting for her life—literally. After securing the sword in his tiny hands, she abruptly became aware of the danger that was chasing after her—the rebel who wanted to hold her hostage.

With the weighted sword in her hand, she anxiously took off out of the store and down a darkened alleyway to the side of the clothing shop. She was clearly conscious of the furious man behind her, only encouraging her to increase the pace at which she ran.

But before long, there wasn't much she could do because she ended up at the dead-end of the alley. Looking for any possible options of escape, she soon felt a gut wrenching feeling enter her stomach when she realized she was trapped, with the man stalking behind her.

"Well done, Your Majesty," the man cooed out, slowly clapping his hands together. "I must admit, I was almost worried that I might have lost my captive for a second there. But I knew in the end that I always win."

She glared at the smirking man, trying to even out her heavy breathing from the sprint she just encountered. Meanwhile, the man slowly closed in on her, so that she could merely smell his torturous breath. "Back away from me, you pig!"

The man purely laughed at the young woman before him, who held the sword with shaking hands. "Very funny." He laughed out as he pushed the sword away with his hand.

"I swear if you take one more step towards me, I will have no remorse in causing your death." Kimberly barked out, pushing the sword out towards him for extra emphasis.

But all too quickly, the skilled older man expertly twirled his hands around and stole the sword away from the Princess, leaving her defenseless. The man scoffed as he twirled the large sword around in his hands, "Not so tough now that you lost the sword, now are you Princess?"

The Princess watched in fear as he twirled the highly decorated sword in between his hands. It wasn't until that moment that the Princess received a good long look at the emblem encrusted on the glorious sword.

"T-That symbol," The Princess frowned, pointing towards the sword in alarm. She recognized that sword, and more so the emblem that was engraved into it: it was the symbol of their national military force.

"That's right, Princess," the man sneered, bringing his grimy hand over the glorious symbol. "If only you even knew the truth behind it…"

Without any warning at all, he then used the handle of the sword to smack against the Princess' cheekbone, causing a whimper to leave her lips as the pain began to blister up. He then smirked as she was cornered against a wall, as he pressed the sharpest part of the sword against the outline of her jaw, instantly sparking blood.

"Being assaulted and exploited by your own kin," he muttered as he brought his face right next to her own. "And you don't even know who rules over the rebels organization… if only you knew what is in store for you and your crumbling kingdom."

He used the hand that wasn't grasping the sword to clutch right underneath her jaw line, at the start of the neck, cutting off most of her air supply. The Princess opened her mouth to speak, but she wasn't capable of letting any words, more the less breathes, out of her mouth.

Had the man held his grip on her neck for any longer, she definitely would have passed out from lack of oxygen. But a sudden force—or more so a person—attacked the man that held her captive, causing him to fall to the ground and let go of his grip around the royalty's neck.

This person was Jack.

"Don't. Touch. Her." He spoke in a husky tone, both arms up in a fighting stance. His eyes briefly danced towards the unconscious figure of the Princess, who lay limp on the ground of the alley.

The man stood up in rage, instantly charging after the young man that was interfering with his plan to turn the Princess in to the rebel forces for a good sum of money. But Jack avoided his charging figure, instead swinging his body around so he could send a powerful blow to his back.

"You're a foolish lad," The man snickered, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "The Princess is a doomed soul—every member of the rebel organization is out to find and capture her—you might as well and give up."

Jack scoffed, watching the man with prepared eyes. "You and all the rest of the irrational rebels will not lay a hand on her."

The man let out a bitter laugh, turning his back on Jack. "Oh, but I already have. Your poor friend is out cold."

Turning back around unexpectedly, the man swung his arm at Jack, but the young man's arm came up to block the attack. Then he used his other arm to smack the man across the collarbone, a shrill crack following the blow.

The man staggered backwards, holding onto his aching collarbone. Grunting in anger and effort, he threw his other arm to strike Jack once again, only to have his wrist unexpectedly held in the younger man's grip.

Spinning the man's arm around, Jack pushed the man with all his might against the brick wall, knocking the man out of consciousness. Jack observed the man to make sure the man was truly out cold before sprinting over towards the Princess in concern.

"Kimberly!" Jack shouted, dashing to her side, her body lying in a heap on the rough alley's floor. "No, no, no…" He originally knelt next to the young woman, but eventually sat on the ground, pulling her carefully into his lap.

He bitterly bit his bottom lip, anger coursing through his veins—not only at the man who caused her pain, but also at himself for not saving her from it all. He should have just listened to his gut feeling that this town wasn't going to be safe. Jack couldn't help but feel guilty, as if he could have stopped all this madness from ever happening.

Not only that, but he failed at what his job was—to protect the Princess from the dangerous rebels that were ordered to capture her at any cost. And here he was, holding the young woman who was nearly dead, after promising to guard her life.

He felt guilty, frustrated, and confused. For some reason that he couldn't explain, he felt attached to the Princess. Sure he had lost many clients he was assigned to protect before this current mission, but this client was different. Call him a fool, but he grew to adore that burning passion Kimberly possessed—even if she grew to be quite annoying and overbearing about it.

And at that moment, Jack realized that he would do anything—even give up his own life—before letting this beautiful girl be harmed. And he made that vow to himself.

He brought one of his beat up hands towards her angelic face, softly rubbing his thumb across her bruised cheekbone. The tissue was already swelled and turning a burgundy red color, but it managed to hold up from breaking skin, probably going to result in a black eye by tomorrow morning.

His finger than made its way towards her jaw line, where a trail of blood was seeping from her delicate skin. He managed to wipe away most of the blood, only resulting in showing a tender looking open scar, the damage candid to see.

"Kimberly," he mumbled, soothingly rubbing her back with the hand that was secured around her waist. She slowly began to stir, gradually slipping back into consciousness. "How are you feeling?"

Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, squinting upon seeing the brightness the sun had to offer. She tried to lift her body up right, but Jack simply tightened his grip around her, securing her from trying to get to her feet.

"Don't get up just yet," he said soft-heartedly, brushing a piece of hair from getting into her weary eyes. "You aren't strong enough to stand just yet."

She remained quiet, which was strange for both her and Jack. He almost immediately began to worry about her health, being that she hadn't spoken a word since waking up from her blackout.

"Do you remember anything?"

She bit her bottom lip, the memories flashing back to her in an instant. "Yeah," she croaked out, her throat becoming extremely dry. "I remember the jackass who was talking crudely about myself and my kingdom."

He slightly laughed at her bitter retort, half expecting such words to leave her mouth.

"And then I remember attacking the man, until Rudy blew my cover." Kimberly continued on, slightly snorting at the remembrance. "After that, it is kind of a blur, but I remember being chased by the jackass all the way to this dead-end. And then based off how dreadful I feel and how you are suddenly acting pleasant to me, I assume he caught me."

Jack scoffed. "What do you mean by 'and suddenly you are acting pleasant to me?'" He countered, slightly offended by her words. The Princess simply gave him a weak smirk.

"Jack, my memory isn't that impaired," she retorted as she winced at the sudden pain that occurred when she briefly touched her eye. "I know we didn't start off on the right foot, necessarily. But I do owe you my gratitude for rescuing me from my death."

Jack shrugged slightly bitterly, tenderly helping the Princess sit up right. "Don't thank me, I nearly didn't get to you in time."

Kimberly turned towards him with a compassionate look on her young face. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she whispered, "Without you, God knows where I would be or what my future would hold. But thanks to you, my kingdom now has a simmering chance of hope."

"I'll always be there for you, Kim." He stated, standing up and offering the young Princess a hand. But he was puzzled to find that she wasn't taking him up on his offer, but rather staring at him from the ground, slightly taken aback. "What?"

"Y-You called me Kim," she responded slowly, a sorrowful grin on her lips, as if that name brought back painful memories. Jack began to apologize to the Princess, but she quickly cut him off with benevolent smile. "No, no, it's fine! It's just been…a long time since I was ever called by that."

It was at that moment that Jack realized it was the first time she ever smiled since he met her, and it instantly brought a smile to his own face. She looked so genuine, cheerful, _beautiful_. He then made a mental promise to himself to get her to smile more often.

_**wooowww, I cannot even begin to thank everyone who has left me a comment. I love each and everyone of you and really hope to continue hearing from you! Hope you all enjoy this chapter (sorry it took so long, but I had finals), and I will now be regularly updating! ITS HOLIDAY TIME/CHRISTMAS BREAK! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE :)**_


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